Basketball's littlest fan cheers on his dad throughout March Madness tournament
Updated: 12:17 AM CDT Mar 25, 2025
MEN. THEY’RE GETTING READY FOR THEIR SECOND ROUND MATCHUP WITH TOP OVERALL SEED AUBURN MATT SOTTILE WITH MORE FROM LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY ON THE BLUE JAYS SMALLEST FAN CHEERING THEM ON IN THE BIGGEST MOMENTS. STEPHEN, THIS IS YOUR 4TH MARCH MADNESS. FIRST, AS A FATHER, WHAT HAS THIS EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE? IT’S BEEN AWESOME. I DON’T THINK I COULD HAVE QUITE ANTICIPATED ALL THE BUZZ THAT TOMMY WAS GOING TO GET, BUT IT WAS COOL TO SEE THE THE JOY THAT HE’S BROUGHT IN OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT HOW FUN MARCH MADNESS IS. IT’S BEEN A COOL, A COOL 24 HOURS. THE FANS HAVE EMBRACED TOMMY. HOW HAVE YOUR TEAMMATES AND COACHES EMBRACED HIM, TOO? YEAH, I MEAN, TOMMY’S GOT, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE BUNCH OF UNCLES AND AND I GUESS GRANDPAS IN IN HIS CORNER. AND I KNOW THEY’RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE ROOTING FOR HIM. AND THEY’RE FUN ON THE ROAD TRIP. WHETHER THEY’RE TAKING A TURN, CARRYING HIM OR PLAYING WITH HIM AND ALWAYS SAYING HI TO HIM. SO IT’S BEEN FUN TO HAVE THEM EMBRACE TOMMY AND REALLY WELCOME HIM A PART OF THIS TEAM. WHAT’S BEEN THE BIGGEST THING THAT YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF IN FATHERHOOD? JUST BE BE CONFIDENT IN WHO YOU ARE AS YOURSELF. I THINK THAT A LOT OF TIMES THE WORLD BRINGS, YOU KNOW, HATE OR DISCOURAGEMENT BECAUSE OF OTHER PEOPLE’S INSECURITIES. AND SO BE CONFIDENT IN WHO YOU ARE AND AND FIND JOY IN OTHER PEOPLE’S SUCCESS, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT LIFE’S ALL ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING EACH OTHER AND BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THIS TEAM ON SATURDAY, AS YOU GUYS GET READY TO FACE THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL SEED AUBURN. YEAH, THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS REALLY WELL. IT’S IT’S WHY THEY’RE THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL SEED. AND WE’RE I THINK WE’RE PREPARING FOR THE MOMENT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. AND I THINK THAT WE’VE GOT THE PIECES TO TO REALLY PUT TOGETHER A GREAT PERFORMANCE ON SATURDAY. AND THEY DO A LOT OF THINGS WELL WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR TRANSITION OFFENSE. AND THEY’RE ELITE IN THE HALF COURT DEFENSE, AND THEY REALLY MAKE THINGS TOUGH. AND THEIR THEIR LENGTH AND ATHLETICISM ALSO MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO GET TO YOUR OFFENSIVE SETS. SO A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING TO COME DOWN TO US MAKING SURE WE CAN GET STOPS AND AND TRY TO PUSH THE BALL IN TRANSITION AND GET GOOD LOOKS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WAY. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO GET A CHANCE TO DO IT WITH THIS TEAM FOR TWO MORE DAYS? IT’S EVERYTHING. I THINK EVERY PLAYER UNDERSTANDS WHEN IT COMES TO MARCH. YOU’RE FIGHTING FOR YOUR LITERAL LIVES, AND THIS TEAM ONLY HAS ONE LIFE AND IT’S DAY BY DAY AT THIS POINT. SO THERE’S THAT URGENCY THAT THAT I THOUGHT THAT WE SHOWED IN A IN A REALLY GOOD WAY THURSDAY ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, IT’S WIN OR GO HOME. AND AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT PRESSURE AND THAT PRESSURE IS DEFINITELY A PRIVILEGE. AND SO I THINK WE’RE UTILIZING IT TO THE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. STEPHEN GOOD LUCK
Basketball's littlest fan cheers on his dad throughout March Madness tournament
Updated: 12:17 AM CDT Mar 25, 2025
The Creighton Bluejays have bowed out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but the memories of their recent success will live on for years to come.Steven Ashworth has been a team captain this season and he is looked up to on and off the court.He's a leader on campus — and at home — where he is known by another title: dad. This was Ashworth's fourth March Madness but his first as a father. His son, Tommy, has been a featured star throughout the Bluejays' season. "It's been awesome. The only thing I couldn't quite anticipate is all the buzz Tommy was going to get, but it's cool to see the joy that he's brought to other people," he said.Sports reporter Matt Sottile, from Hearst sister station KETV, learned more about the Bluejays' smallest fan who has been cheering them on.
The Creighton Bluejays have bowed out of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, but the memories of their recent success will live on for years to come.
Steven Ashworth has been a team captain this season and he is looked up to on and off the court.
He's a leader on campus — and at home — where he is known by another title: dad.
This was Ashworth's fourth March Madness but his first as a father.
His son, Tommy, has been a featured star throughout the Bluejays' season.
"It's been awesome. The only thing I couldn't quite anticipate is all the buzz Tommy was going to get, but it's cool to see the joy that he's brought to other people," he said.
Sports reporter Matt Sottile, from Hearst sister station KETV, learned more about the Bluejays' smallest fan who has been cheering them on.